


and take away its pain

by Anxiety_Elemental



Series: McGenji Week 2019 2: Reloaded [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, McGenjiWeek19, Post-Recall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:37:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21610291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxiety_Elemental/pseuds/Anxiety_Elemental
Summary: A reunion, a talk about things gone by, and what might be.Prompt: Growth/Tenderness
Relationships: Jesse McCree/Genji Shimada
Series: McGenji Week 2019 2: Reloaded [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553443
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	and take away its pain

**Author's Note:**

> “Kay stop putting Warframe references in your Overwatch stuff” Look I can’t help it, and it’s basically my brand at this point.

Someone has broken into his motel room.

There’s no sign of damage on the door, but then Jesse turns the door handle just slightly, it moves without effort, though he knows he locked it before he left. Well, won’t be the first time, or the last, that someone tried to sneak into wherever he was hiding. Jesse’s tired though, too much running, too much shooting, not enough sleep. He has no plans to get caught or die today.

He throws the door open, gun drawn in the blink of an eye. There’s someone sitting on the bed, dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, legs crossed, hands on their knees. A pair of familiar swords strapped to his back. The figure turns their head, and Jesse sees the sharp, green line of Genji’s visor.

“The hell are you doing here?” Jesse says, kicking the door closed behind him.

“I was passing by,” Genji says, voice light. Is that teasing? Not jabs or spite, but teasing? Playfulness? From Genji? Also, there’s -

“You wearing pants now?” Jesse says, dumbstruck.

Genji is motionless, but he thinks he hears a small laugh, and Jesse’s mind goes blank. “If you wish to talk,” Genji begins, voice gentle, “I would appreciate if you would put your gun away first.”

“Oh,” Jesse had forgotten he was still holding it at all, he slides Peacekeeper back in its holster. Genji shifts, and pats the bed, inviting Jesse to sit next to him.

“You uh, where’ve you been?” Jesse says, no idea what else to say or even where to begin.

“Away,” Genji says, cryptically. His head spots something to Jesse’s left. “Oh, McCree. Your arm.”

Jesse raises his prosthetic arm. He’s had the thing a while, just enough he can almost forget it’s not a real arm at all. Almost. “This ain’t so bad,” he says, “We match now.”

Genji reaches out, and pauses, waiting for permission. Jesse reaches out and touches his hand, giving that permission without hesitation.

The prosthetic has very little feeling, it’s not a high-tech thing at all. He can sense pressure and extreme temperatures, but that’s about it. He can’t feel the texture of Genji’s hands as they run across his palm, up and down the forearm.

Something inside his aches that he can’t feel them. Gentle brushed metal fingers, soft silicone pads beneath. Unlike any other human or even any omnic.

It’s impossible to mistake those hands for anyone else.

“I am sorry,” Genji says, running his fingers along Jesse’s metal palm.

Jesse shrugs, “Ain’t got nothing to be sorry about.”

“Our lives are ones of violence,” Genji says, “It was foolish of me to hope youwould settle down and live a quiet life after Overwatch fell. That was never who you were.”

“Well, someone’s gotta dispense justice,” Jesse says.

“Sounds very lonely.” Genji says. He lets go of Jesse’s hand, and even though he couldn’t feel it, he mourns the loss. “You have heard about the recall?” Genji asks.

Jesse nods. “I’ve got unfinished business,” he says, “Things that won’t get done otherwise, and no one else to get ‘em done. What about you?”

“I believe Winston’s Overwatch represents an opportunity to make right the things we once did wrong,” Genji says. Jesse never heard Genji say anything good about Overwatch in the past, but if he wanted to get into the middle of things as quickly as possible, that would be the best place to go.

“Neither of us were that good at staying out of trouble,” Jesse says, “Always on the wrong side of the law, ain’t we?”

“Neither of us have ever been anything else,” Genji says with a shrug, “Never known anything else. Though I would one day like to discover what a quiet life is like.”

“You’re very different,” Jesse says, part of him still reeling at the things Genji is saying.

“For the better,” Genji pauses, and adds, uncertain, “I hope you feel the same.”

“You seem...” Jesse pauses. ‘Happier’ isn’t the right word. “If you feel better, then I’m happy for you.”

Genji leans forward, and presses his face place to Jesse’s forehead, a kiss.

Genji pulls back, and Jesse, gathering courage, leans forward and presses his lips to his face plate, about where Genji’s lips would be. He has no idea if Genji can even feel it through the metal, likely not. It seems to have the same effect, Genji’s handswrapping around Jesse’s waist, and their bodies press together, an old, familiar, not quite forgotten thing. They’d been close, but once Blackwatch was suspended they’d drifted, and McCree spent many nights worried that he’d been forgotten, become a relic of a worse time in Genji’s life. A thing discarded once it was outgrown. He’s relieved to be wrong, for once.

They part, slowly, and Genji runs a hand gentle through Jesse’s hair, and Jesse closes his eyes.

“It will be okay, Jesse,” Genji murmurs.

“You can’t say things like that,” Jesse shakes his head, “That ain’t how things go.”

“Well, if we believe so fervently that our future is bleak, then how can it ever be otherwise?” Genji says, still playing with Jesse’s hair, “If there is something I have learned, it is to avoid self-fulfilling prophecies. If I hope for and prepare for a better future, then I at least invite an opportunity for it to be so.”

Jesse sighs, he doesn't think anyone else has touched his hair except to try to yank it from his scalp in... years. “Do you gotta head out right away?” Jesse says, and he can’t keep the slightest shake out of his voice, “I wanna meet the Genji who’s learned the secrets of the universe.”

“I had a good teacher,” Genji says, with a smile in his voice, “There is time. And I would like to hear about you, too.”

“Well,” Jesse leans back against the pillows on the bed, “Since there isn’t a bounty hunter waiting for me, I guess I got some time.”

“Hope I didn’t frighten you,” Genji says, sounding entirely unapologetic, “Though I hear you’ve earned yourself quite a reputation. You robbed a train recently?”

“Now that ain’t how it went at all,” Jesse says, crossing his arms, “Now here’s how that really went down...”

They spend the night tangled together, their bodies close, and sharing their new lives, and rebuilding the old, gentle thing they had made long ago.


End file.
